Meta layoffs strike employees across the board to 'better align' with its goals

What you need to know

• Reports and posts by former Meta employees state the company has unleashed another wave of layoffs.
• The exact number of those affected is unknown, but what is seemingly confirmed is that the layoffs affect Instagram, WhatsApp, and its Reality Labs teams.
• Meta let go of roughly 11,000 employees at the end of 2022 as it moved into its "Year of Efficiency" in 2023.

More layoffs strike Meta employees late in 2024.

The Verge was tipped off about the layoffs thanks to a post on Threads by Jane Manchun Wong and other former Meta employees. In their post, Wong states, "I’m still trying to process this but I’m informed that my role at Meta has been impacted." 

The publication's report states the company has issued layoff notices to employees working on Instagram, WhatsApp, and Reality Labs. Unfortunately, the exact number of impacted personnel at Meta is unknown.

Meta spokesperson Dave Arnold informed The Verge that the company is "making changes to ensure resources are aligned with their long-term strategic goals and location strategy." Moreover, there's a chance that not everyone will be let go entirely.

Arnold adds the latest wave includes "moving some teams to different locations and moving some employees to different roles." Additionally, Meta is supposedly "working hard" to find "other opportunities" for those caught in the layoffs.

It seems Meta is still regressing to its 2021-era employment levels. In March 2023, the company hit its Comms team and project and policy managers from Reality Labs with a wave of layoffs. It's worth noting that the company's Reality Labs Division was hit the hardest that time as former staff members took to LinkedIn to tell the news. That wave arrived just before Meta's major VR Gaming Showcase in 2023.

The blow to the Reality Labs team (again) is strange considering Meta has been pushing its VR hardware more as it recently launched the entry-level Meta Quest 3S.

The layoff trend continues as you may remember Meta laid off roughly 11,000 employees toward the end of Q4 2022. This was part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's 'Year of Efficiency" for the company. Zuckerberg added Meta is "focused on becoming a stronger and more nimble organization." The company turned around and let go of an additional ~10,000 employees a month later in March 2023.